Michael López-Alegría facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael López-Alegría
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Lopez in March 2000
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| Born |
Miguel Eladio López Alegría
May 30, 1958 |
| Nationality | American Spanish |
| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
| Rank | Captain, USN |
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Time in space
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296 days, 16 hours and 15 minutes |
| Selection | NASA Group 14 (1992) |
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Total EVAs
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10 |
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Total EVA time
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67h 40m |
| Missions |
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Mission insignia
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| Retirement | March 12, 2012 |
Michael López-Alegría (born Miguel Eladio López Alegría on May 30, 1958) is a famous astronaut and test pilot. He has dual citizenship, being both American and Spanish. He is a true space veteran, having flown on three Space Shuttle missions and one long mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
Michael is especially known for his many spacewalks. He has performed ten spacewalks in his career. This means he has spent more time outside a spacecraft than almost any other astronaut! He holds the record for the second-longest total spacewalk time ever. He also holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by an American astronaut, spending 215 days aboard the ISS. More recently, he commanded Axiom Mission 1, the first-ever space mission with an all-private crew to the International Space Station. This historic flight launched on April 8, 2022.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Michael López-Alegría was born in Madrid, Spain. His father was Spanish, and his mother was American. He grew up in Mission Viejo, California. After finishing high school, he joined the United States Navy.
He studied hard and earned a degree in Systems Engineering in 1980. This was from the United States Naval Academy. Later, in 1988, he got another degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.
In 1981, he became a Naval Aviator, which means he was a pilot for the Navy. He worked as an instructor pilot, teaching others to fly. He also flew reconnaissance planes and became the first pilot of a special Navy plane (the EP-3E) to be chosen for United States Naval Test Pilot School. He can speak English, Spanish, French, and Russian fluently.
Michael's son, Nicolas, appeared with him in a 2006 documentary called Mira La Luna. Another film, Son And Moon, was released in 2009. It featured Michael and other astronauts like Mikhail Tyurin and Sunita Williams.
Adventures in Space: His Missions
Michael López-Alegría's first journey to space was on STS-73 in 1995. After this mission, he worked at NASA. He led the office that managed the crews for the International Space Station.
He returned to space on STS-92 in 2000 and STS-113 in 2002. During the STS-92 mission, he tested a special jet pack called SAFER. This jetpack helps astronauts move safely if they float away from the spacecraft during a spacewalk. He flew up to 50 feet away from the Space Shuttle!
In October 2001, Michael also worked as an aquanaut. This means he lived and worked underwater in a special lab called Aquarius. This was part of the first NEEMO mission, which stands for NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations. It helps astronauts train for space by living in extreme conditions on Earth.
On September 20, 2006, Michael arrived at the ISS. He was the commander of Expedition 14. He had launched from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, on September 18, aboard the Soyuz TMA-9 spacecraft. During Expedition 14, he performed five spacewalks. He returned to Earth on April 21, 2007.
Michael López-Alegría holds the American record for the most EVAs (spacewalks), with 10 spacewalks. He also holds the record for the longest total time spent spacewalking by an American astronaut, with 67 hours and 40 minutes. Only Russia's Anatoly Solovyev has spent more time spacewalking overall. On April 2, 2007, Michael set a new record for the longest space mission by any American astronaut. When he landed on April 21, his single mission had lasted 215 days!
Record-Breaking Spacewalks
Here is a list of Michael López-Alegría's spacewalks:
- 2000-10-16: 7 hours, 7 minutes (on STS-92, EVA 2)
- 2000-10-18: 6 hours, 56 minutes (on STS-92, EVA 4)
- 2002-11-26: 6 hours, 45 minutes (on STS-113, EVA 1)
- 2002-11-28: 6 hours, 10 minutes (on STS-113, EVA 2)
- 2002-11-30: 7 hours, 0 minutes (on STS-113, EVA 3)
- 2006-11-22: 7 hours, 39 minutes (on ISS Expedition 14, EVA 1)
- 2007-01-31: 7 hours, 55 minutes (on ISS Expedition 14, EVA 2)
- 2007-02-04: 7 hours, 11 minutes (on ISS Expedition 14, EVA 3)
- 2007-02-07: 6 hours, 39 minutes (on ISS Expedition 14, EVA 4)
- 2007-02-22: 6 hours, 18 minutes (on ISS Expedition 14, EVA 5)
His mission as commander of Expedition 14 was the longest flight for a Soyuz spacecraft at that time. This made Expedition 14 the longest expedition up to that point.
Exploring New Frontiers: Commercial Space
Michael López-Alegría retired from NASA on March 12, 2012. After leaving NASA, he became the President of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. This group works to promote private space travel. He held this role until the end of 2014.
Today, Michael works as an independent consultant. He advises both traditional space companies and new commercial space companies. He also serves on various boards and committees. He often gives speeches about space travel around the world.
In 2017, Michael joined Axiom Space. This company is building the world's first commercial space station. He flew to space again in 2022 as the commander of Axiom Mission 1. This was the first mission by Axiom Space using a Crew Dragon spacecraft to visit the International Space Station. He also commanded Axiom Mission 3, which launched on January 18, 2024.
Awards and Honors
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National Defense Service Medal with one award star |
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NASA Space Flight Medal with three oak leaf clusters |
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Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration" |
See also
In Spanish: Miguel López-Alegría para niños
- Hispanics in the United States Naval Academy
- List of Hispanic astronauts
